blood vessel endothelial cell endothelial stalk cell 2011-08-16T01:49:32Z Endothelial stalk cells are specialized vascular cells vital in angiogenesis, a process through which new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing ones; specifically, endothelial stalk cells are involved in sprouting angiogenesis, where they help form the body of new blood vessels. Vascular sprouting relies on the coordinated activity of migrating endothelial tip cells at the forefront and proliferating stalk cells that elongate the sprout. The process is tightly controlled by different growths factors: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor acts on endothelial cells, inducing them to become endothelial tip cells that initiate sprouting. After sprouting initiation, activation of Notch signaling suppresses differentiation toward a tip cell phenotype and some of the endothelial cells differentiate into stalk cells, which follow tip cells, multiply, and elongate to provide a structural backbone to the growing vessel sprout. In contrast to endothelial tip cells, which migrate and lead the angiogenic sprout, endothelial stalk cells behind the sprouts continue forming the tube or lumen for blood flow and facilitate maturation and stability of the new vessel. The delicate balance between the activities of stalk and tip cells during angiogenesis is crucial to build a functional vascular network. Dysfunctions in endothelial stalk cells can lead to pathological conditions such as impaired wound healing, unregulated tumor growth, and metastasis due to abnormal angiogenesis. (This extended description was generated by ChatGPT and reviewed by the CellGuide team, who added references, and by the CL editors, who approved it for inclusion in CL. It may contain information that applies only to some subtypes and species, and so should not be considered definitional.) https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/cellguide/CL_0002671 An endothelial stalk cell is a specialized endothelial cell that follows behind the tip cell of an angiogenic sprout.